Stony Brook, N.Y. - Freshman Amber Kupres (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) and junior Demmianne Cook (Nesconset, N.Y.) each had a game-high four goals and junior Claire Petersen (Wantagh, N.Y.) added a goal and six assists to lead the Stony Brook women's lacrosse team to a 17-4 victory over Marist Saturday at LaValle Stadium. The trio headlined eight different Seawolves goal scorers.
The win snaps a three-game losing streak for the Seawolves and improves their record to 6-3 on the season. Stony Brook had played its last four games against nationally ranked opponents. Marist falls to 1-8 on the year.
For Kupres, the four goals are a career high. She has now recorded a hat trick four times this season, including in each of the last two games. Cook improved her season goal tally to 33 after her sixth hat trick of the year. Junior Janine Hillier (Farmingdale, N.Y.) and freshmen Michelle Rubino (East Setauket, N.Y.) and Kelly Kuerner (Lake Grove, N.Y.) each had two goals, and sophomores Alyssa Cardillo (Farmingdale, N.Y.) and Jessica Romano (Massapequa, N.Y.).
Marist was led by Amanda Tuck's two goals. Red Foxes goalkeeper Ashley Casiano made 16 saves as the Seawolves were constantly peppering her with shots. Stony Brook outshot Marist 42-11 for the game.
"It was good for us to get back into the win column today," head coach Joe Spallina said. "We had eight different goal scorers and a great defensive effort. We got great looks on the offensive side; we just need to get better with our shot placement. Overall, it's good to get back on our home field and get back to our winning ways."
Kupres got the Seawolves on the board less than three minutes into the game after taking a Petersen pass from behind the net and slicing the ball past Casiano for the goal. After a Cook free position goal, Kupres repeated the same result off a pass from Petersen at 21:16 to put the Seawolves on top 3-0.
After Rubino made it 4-0 with an unassisted goal at 18:16, Marist responded with a pair of goals, one from Tuck and the other a free position shot from Shannon Haas to cut the deficit to two, 4-2.
Cook scored for the Seawolves at 13:37, and Marist answered at 12:31 on Sabrina Mattera's goal to make it 5-3.
That was as close as Marist would come to the Seawolves, who ended the first half with three unanswered goals. Petersen assisted on a pair of them, including one to Kupres with two minutes left that sent Stony Brook into halftime leading 8-3.
Tuck scored the first goal of the second half for Marist, but Stony Brook put the game away with four more consecutive goals, the final one at 17:03 as Romano rocketed a shot through defenders from about 10 yards away past Casiano to make it 12-4.
The Seawolves next play on Tuesday at Iona at 3 p.m. It will be their final tune-up before conference play begins next Saturday, March 31, at Binghamton.
